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Queer ideas and nuggets of gold

The annual International Fundraising Congress (IFC) was held last week in Amsterdam. Here are the highlights from Mark Phillip’s Queer ideas blog: Five things we learned at the IFC

Chuck Longfield, Blackbaud‘s chief scientist, has a job where he can crunch millions of numbers from a huge range of charities. If a question pops into his head, it doesn’t take him long to find the answer. In his session, Chuck shared some of his findings which included the following nuggets of gold:

If someone calls you to change their address they are TEN times more likely to leave you a legacy (or upgrade, or set up a regular gift or anything else you might ask them to do).

Donors who tend to give uncommon amounts are much easier to upgrade than those who give common amounts.

Donors get hooked on giving amounts. After 4 years they are 80% more likely to stick to their preferred amount rather than increase their gift (rising to 90% after 5 years).

Calling a donor to thank them (whether you speak to them or just leave a message on the answer phone) can increase their next year’s gift value by up to 40%.

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Welcome to my lil’ part of the web!

I have spent the past 24 years working in the nonprofit sector serving community-based causes–educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, healthcare providers and nonprofit start-ups. I began serving as Associate Vice President of Leadership & Fund Development at Chattanooga State Community College in August of 2013 and was promoted to Vice President of College Advancement and Public Relations in August 2015. I also own a nonprofit consulting business which I started in 2005 and co-founded a legal tech company with my husband in 2011.